Folding davenport.



w E. FRANK.

FOLDING-DAVENPORT. APPLICATION FILED MAB. laflan.

1,281,33Q. Patented 0ct.15, 1918.

w. 5. FRANK.

FOLDING DAVENPORT.

APPLICATION HLED MAR. 16. 1911.

1,281,334. Patented Oct. 15, 1918.,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- WILLIAM E. FRANK, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 FOSTER BROS. lVIFG. 00., OF

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A

CORPOBA'IION' OF MISSOURI.

FOLDING DAVENPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. FRANK, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Folding Davenports, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to folding davenports, and couches of the type generally termed day beds, in which the mattress frame is composed of two sections, each of which is approximately six feet in length and one-half the width of an ordinary bed spring. Such davenports and couches are usually provided with a back that is mounted on the end frames of the davenports in such a manner that it has to be shifted out of its normal closed position when the davenport is converted into a bed, so that it will not interfere with the mattress frame during the operations of opening'and closing same.

The main object of my present invention is toprovide a folding davenport or couch of the general type referred to that is equipped with a novel means of simple construction for moving the back into its inoperative position and also for preventing the back from moving accidentally out of its normal operative position.

Figure l of the drawings is a view, partly in end elevation and vertical section, of a folding davenport constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of same.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, illustrating the davenport closed; and v Fig. l is a rear elevational view ofthe davenport.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A designates the end frames of my improved folding davenport. B designates the seat and G designates the back. The davenport is provided with a foldable mattress frame that consists of a rear section D and a pivotally mounted section section D when the davenport is closed, as shown in Fig. 3, and which can be turned over into a position in horizontal alinement with the section D and in front of same when it is desired to convert the davenport into a bed, as shown in Fig. 1. The two sections of the mattress frame are provided E that lies above the with a woven wire fabric or link and coil spring structure, so as to form a support forthe mattress, and both of said sections are pivotally mounted on supporting brackets 1 carried by the end frames A. When the davenport is open the free edge of the section E of the mattress frame is supported by means of legs 2 and the free edge or rear end of the rear section D is supported by toggle links 3 that are connected to the end frames A, said toggle links being joined by means of rods 4 to the section E in such a manner that the toggles will be broken so as to permit the rear section D of the mattress frame to swing downwardly when the section E is swung upwardly and rearwardly into its closed position and will be straightened when said section E is swung in the opposite direction to convert the davenport into a bed. When the davenport is closed, the rear section D of the mattress frame is supported by means of stops 5 on the end frames A, and the free edge of the section E is supported and held in a horizontal position by means of stops 6 on the rear section D of the mattress frame. The seat B is pivotally connected to the supporting legs 2 and is also joined by means of links 7 to the section E of the mattress frame, so that it will swing downwardly into a horizontal position beneath said frame when the davenport is opened. The front edge of the seat B is pivotally connected to links 8, which in turn, are connected to the end frames A, so as to hold the legs 2 perfectly rigid when the mattress frame is open. Contractile springs 9 and rods 10 are connected to the section E of the mattress frame in such a manner that when the user swings the sec-- tion E upwardly to close same the springs 9 will exert a rearward pull on said section during the first part of the closing operation,rbut will be placed under tension, and thus absorb the shock on said section E when said section is moving into its final closed position. This feature of the davenport does not form a part of my present invention, as said feature is covered in my pending application Serial No. 155,221, filed March 16, 1907.

My present invention relates to the construction of the back C of the davenport, and therefore, it is immaterial, so far as my broad idea is concerned, how the mattress frame and seat are constructed. As shown A of the davenport, said pivots being so ar- Y ranged that the lower edge of the back C can be swung forwardly into engagement with the rear edge of the seat B when the mattress frame is in its closed position and can be swung rearwardly into tion that the movable section E of the mattress frame can be swung upwardly past same when it is desired to convert the davenport into a bed.-

In order that the back C may be moved easily into its inoperative position shown in Fig. 1, and in order that said back will be held securely in its operative position shown in Fig. 8, I have provided the davenport with a back operating mechanism that consists of two pairs of toggle links 13 pivotally connected to the end frames and to the lower edge of the back frame 11 and operating cables 14 joined to said toggle links and to an operating lever 15 arranged on a board or rigid member 16 at the upper edge of the back that extends longitudinally of the davenport between the end frames A of same, the operating cables 14 leading upwardly from the toggle links to pulleys or guiding devices 17 on the member 15 and thence to the operating lever 15, as shown clearly in Fig. 4. To move the back G into its inoperative position the user merely turns the operating lever 15 into a vertical position, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 4, thereby causing the toggle links to pull the lower edge of the back rearwardly into the position shown in Fig. 1. To restore the back to its normal such a posiclosed position the user merely tilts the upper edge portion of the back rearwardly, thereby causing the toggle links 13 to straighten and act as struts that hold the back in the inclined position shown, in Fig. 3. i

A davenport of the construction above de scribed can be opened and closed easily; it

can be manufactured at a low cost and is not liable to get out oforder when it is in use; the back of same does not present an unsightly appearance when the davenport is being used as a bed; said back can be moved into its inoperative position by merely turning a lever, and when the daven port is closed the back is so securely held in its'closed position that there is no possi Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner bility of its moving accidentally into its inoperative position when the occupants of the davenport exert rearward pressure on the back at a point below the fulcrum of same. While I have herein illustrated my improved back operating mechanism embodied in a folding davenport provided with a mattress frame and seat structure of the characterdescribed in my pending application above referred to, I wish it to be understood that it is not limited to use in a davenport or couch of the particular kind disclosed in said application, but is applicable to any type of folding davenport or couch in which the back has to be shifted into an operative position before the mattress frame can be opened.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is:

1. A folding davenport, couch or similar article provided with end frames, a foldable mattress frame carried by said end frames, a back pivotally connected to said end frames in such a manner that thelower' edge portion of same can swing rearwardly into a position out of the path of said mattress frame whenit is being opened, toggle links connected to the end frames and to the back for holding the back 1n operative position above the mattress frame when said frame is closed, an operating lever onsaid back, and flexible members connected to said operating lever and to said toggle links for causing said links to move the lower edge portion'of the back rearwardly when said operating lever is moved in one direction.

2. A foldingdavenport, couch or similar article provided with end frames, a foldable mattress frame'carried by said end frames, a back pivotally connected to said end frames in such a manner that the lower edge portion of same can swing rearwardly into a position out of the path of said mattress frame when it is being opened, toggle links connected to the end frames and to the back for'holding the back in operative position above the mattress frame when said frame is closed, an operating lever connected to said back adjacent the upper edge of same, and flexible members that lead from said toggle-links through guiding devices on the back and'thence to said operating lever.

WILLIAM E. FRANK.

of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

